


The Lesson

by Haunt_Haunt_Haunt



Category: American Horror Story: Hotel, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: AU-Planets Have a Living Force, Canon-Typical Violence, Claw Foot Bathtub, Empire Era, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Zombies Even, Gen, Not Even a Swear, Planet Dagobah (Star Wars), Post-Chopper Base, Sith Code, Which was Hard, Zombies, sfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 19:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20783942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Haunt_Haunt_Haunt/pseuds/Haunt_Haunt_Haunt
Summary: Kanan takes Ezra to Dagobah to look for a glimmer of hope, and Ezra learns a valuable lesson in the process.





	The Lesson

“So why are we here?” Ezra asked. He ran his hand through his freshly cut hair. It hadn’t been long since the fall of Chopper base, and everyone was still upset about it. Kanan had decided to take Ezra to this planet for no real discernible reason, saying that it would be necessary for training, but he had never actually explained why.

“You still have a lot to learn about the Dark Side. This is Dagobah,” Kanan said. He had his blast visor off, and his milky grey eyes seemed to be scanning the distance, but in truth, he was seeing everything through the Force. The Phantom’s boarding ramp slid back into place and the doors sealed with a hiss.

Ezra looked around. It was a swamp. What could he possibly learn in a damn swamp? He looked down at his boots, upset that the mud was so deep. He was gonna have to clean his boots now, too.

“Kanan, I really don’t understand what I have left to learn. Maul is dead. I felt that. Kenobi did it. Not only that, if there is a living Jedi master, don’t you still want to get rid of me?”  
The words cut deep, and Kanan felt shame. At first, he couldn’t get over the fact that he was still a Padawan himself, and yes, he did hope that Luminara could train Ezra, but in his frustration, he blurted that out. It was one of the bigger shames in his life. Ezra didn’t deserve it, and he knew in part that this was how Maul happened.

“I’ve grown since then, Ezra, and so have you. I also know that whatever Master Kenobi is doing, it’s of dire importance to the galaxy, so no; I don’t think you need to be under his tutelage, and honestly, Kenobi still holds to the old ways. Those ways are no longer effective. You need a teacher that can change with the times, and again, I’m sorry. I should have never taken that frustration out on you.”

Ezra was silent, listening to the chirping of the bugs, and somewhere far off, there was a horrid croaking. Something was lunch for something else. He shivered and caught up to Kanan.

“So what are you hoping to find here?”

“The reason we fight. You understand Lothal, but there is more to it than that. This place-” He put his hand out, “It’s a beacon of the Dark Side. There are a few planets aligned with the Force, and this one is where the Dark Side is strongest. Yet, somewhere here, I feel a glimmer of hope. Can you sense it?” Kanan stopped, turning to Ezra.

“I can’t sense di—“ he began, but the look on Kanan’s face cut him off.

“Don’t parrot Zeb. Do what we came here before. Sit and concentrate.”

Ezra looked down. Absolutely no he would not sit in this muck.

“Kanan, the ground is filthy.”

“What, you got a hot date later? I didn’t realize Sabine came with us. She’s real good at being quiet,” he said. Ezra frowned, but did what Kanan said anyway, sitting with a loud plop. Mud splattered. He hated swamps. Lothal had swamps. He didn’t like those either. The cold seeped into his jumper, and it was distracting.

“Be careful Ezra. This place is insidious. It will try to warp your thoughts. You’re about to touch that in the worst kind of way. Just focus, and look for the light.”

Ezra folded his legs under him and closed his eyes, trying to sharpen his senses, and block out distractions. First, it was the cold and wet, then the bugs. It wasn’t like he couldn’t hear them. No, it was more like instead of one cacophonous sound, he could piece together each individual bug, knew where they were, how to locate them, what type they were, and what exact sound they were making. At first, he thought this was a dead planet and there was nothing here, but now, he realized how wrong he was. It may have been dark, and there were no sentients, but this place teemed with life. It was everywhere, even under his feet. The planet pulsed and hummed, and he started to notice the Force Kanan spoke of. It wasn’t bright and crisp, like Kanan. Kanan smelled like a bright crackling fire, roasted chestnuts maybe. It was a warm and homey scent and it always made Ezra feel better, and yes, he could smell him now, but the other thing wasn’t as pleasant. It was slick and clinging, like oil, and it reminded him of Spice withdrawal. It was disgusting to feel, and the smell was rot and decay, almost like rotting meat. It was almost overpowering, and Ezra had to try real hard, because even now, it was trying to seep in, to rub something, anything, off on him. It was insidious indeed.

But there, somewhere through the smell of meat, he smelled something else. It was like jasmine and ylang ylang. It was very subtle, almost indistinguishable, and it lasted for the briefest of moments, but he smelled it. That couldn’t be bad. Nothing smelled like that that was bad. Then something else. This was the smell of dead roses, still having some of the sweetness, but it was still a little bitter. What was that? He tried to smell harder, trying to find out what the mystery scent was, then it was like something entered him. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. Quite the opposite. He felt powerful. He had the willpower to do whatever he wanted, and he heard a soft voice on the wind.

“Come find me, and I can make you strong.” It said. Soft and feminine, but powerful. Then the feeling faded as quickly as it came on. He snapped his eyes open, looking at Kanan. Kanan’s head had turned in a direction, and his hand was gripping his lightsaber, but he hadn’t pulled it off his belt yet. Could he have heard it too?

“Kanan,” he asked, almost shaken. There was something ungodly powerful here, and it had spoken to him. It was almost like The Bindu, older than time, and more powerful than it had any right being.

“Are you alright?” Kanan asked. He took his hand off his saber.

“What is this place?” He asked.

“Now you’re starting to understand. Experience is a great learner.” He offered Ezra his hand.

“I want to go home, back to The Ghost. Don’t make me stay here.”

“We’re here together, Ezra. We can handle whatever comes, as long as we stay together.”

Ezra took his hand and Kanan hauled him to his feet, and they started walking again, but Ezra didn’t feel as bored, or as grossed out anymore. He was scared. He didn’t like running into things that he didn’t understand, and this was one of them. They went under logs, over downed trees, and across swamps. He didn’t know what Kanan was looking for, but after two hours, he finally felt okay to speak again.

“Kanan, I don’t know what you think is here, but I’m not okay with finding it.”

“We have to find it, Ezra. Chopper base has been destroyed, and right now, the Rebellion is fighting a losing battle. We need all the help we can get if we’re gonna keep fighting this battle.”

“There can’t be anything good here. The whole planet wants us off of it. I don’t know what has made you so intrepid, but I don’t like it.”

Kanan stopped and looked at him. “I’m fine. I have my guard up. Don’t give in to fear. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate, leads to suffering.”

“Fear is a basic survival trait that has persisted since man first learned to walk upright. When you are afraid, it’s your brain telling you to get out of dodge.”

He sighed. “I’m not here to debate biology with you.”

“It’s not a debate! It’s basic science and evolution!” Ezra yelled, and a few of the bugs flew away. There was another croak in the distance.

“Keep yelling, and something is gonna come eat us. Then we’ll both be afraid,” he said, trying to take a moral high ground.

“Your toxic masculinity is gonna get us both killed. I’m going back to The Phantom. Screw this,” Ezra spat and started trekking back the way they came.

“Ezra, don’t storm off. Not here.”

Ezra didn’t listen, marching back through the swamp. It was muggy, humid, and he was determined to never set foot in another swamp if he could avoid it. Kanan didn’t come after him, which was a little surprising. He was certain that Kanan would want to make sure he was safe, but Kanan also had a bug about something, and Ezra didn’t want to be a part of it. The surroundings started to look less and less familiar. He had been trying to follow their tracks, but it was dark, and he must have gotten turned around at the first swamp. Wait, did he? Where was he? Okay, he was panicking now. He tried to talk into his wrist communicator.

“Kanan, I think I’m lost,” he said, but the reply was just static and dead air. Nothing. Was he out of communicator range? Where was he? He glanced around and, wait, was that a person in the distance? It was between a few trees, and it looked like a person definitely, but it stepped behind a tree and was gone. He started walking that way, getting to the tree, but there was no one there. Damn this fog. He was seeing things. Or was he? There it was again. They were walking ahead and disappeared behind another tree.

“Wait!” He ran towards the tree, and again, there was no one there, but he saw them again, in the distance, darting into a bush. He followed the figure on this chase and every time he got to where he saw them, they disappeared behind something and obscured the line of sight, and then they were gone. He was definitely lost now, and this person was the only chance he had to get out of the swamp. Then he saw them, out in the fog and standing still. Their head was down. He ran forward and when he got a little closer, skidded to a halt. Was that a storm trooper? He pulled out his lightsaber, the new one he had just crafted, and was about to turn it on, when the storm trooper turned to him, and it was the most terrifying thing he had seen yet.

It was a storm trooper at one time, definitely, but not anymore. The laminate was pocked and scarred, and it had no helmet. Instead, he could see its face. It almost looked like an old clone? It reminded him of Rex, definitely. Its skin was ashy grey though, and what little hair it had was caked with mud.

“Uhh.” Ezra said, and its head lolled up in his direction. It then opened its mouth, and let out the most disturbing scream he could think of, rushing towards him. The scream was echoed around the forest. How many of them were there? He braced for impact, and the thing hit him like a wrecking ball. He had to brace his arm between it and his face, and it snapped its jaws at him and started clawing at his jumpsuit. And it was strong. It was so strong. He panicked at first, but managed to get his saber positioned into its gut and switched it on. The green blade pierced the old clone, and it sagged, no longer snapping at him. He pushed it off of him, and noticed more of them coming. They weren’t the shambling hordes of the old holo-vids. These things were running and shrieking, and he had the most primal fear he had ever experienced. These were dead people. These were dead clones, reanimated. This kind of thing, it was unholy and wrong.

He screamed, and they rushed him, and he started running, hacking with his saber any time one of them got close. They were everywhere, bounding over downed trees and coming straight out of the swamps. There were so many, and tears streamed down Ezra’s face as he ran. It was the Lothal temple all over again. He was scared and alone and he was certain that he would finally die, and then he’d be one of them, shambling and dead through the forest. One of them was charging at him on all fours and leaped, and he arced the saber, slicing it in half vertically as he ran. There was no blood, and he heard it thump to the ground behind him, and another one trip. Then he saw it in the distance. There was a house? No. It was a temple. It reminded him of the Big House on Dathomir that Maul had taken him to. He ran as fast as his legs would go, and the slobbering braying hordes were behind him. He didn’t dare look back. He didn’t want to see them. They were clones, some in armor, some in Officer apparel from the Old Republic days. What had he found?

He got to the temple and turned, hauling a door closed. He saw just how many there were. There had to have been hundreds chasing him. The door swung surprisingly easily, and it closed with a loud boom, followed by the sound of bodies slamming into it. He glanced around, making sure there were no windows.

“What the actual f—“ He began, but then he looked around, and his swear died in his throat. Where was he? He was in a large room. It was huge, like a meeting hall. There was a sweeping grand staircase in front of him that branched off into opposite directions, and in the middle of the branch was a large stained glass window, which was surprisingly intact. Emblazoned upon it were four figures. A man, dressed in gray, a woman, dressed in blues and greens, and another man, dressed in blacks and reds. Separated from them as if in the distance was another woman. She was dressed in purple and orange. The clashing colors were awful. Other than that, there were a few chairs about, and two branching sections just like the stairs. It looked like rooms were off of them. The centerpiece of the room was a huge chandelier. It looked to be made of some off white material, and it lit the room with a soft light. There were candles in it. It wasn’t electrical. There were also some large tapestries on the wall, with writings on them in a language he didn’t recognize, but it almost looked like Aurebesh. The tapestries were made of black and red silk, and they were all gorgeous, depicting people and events. The people were usually red or in one case black, with what looked like tentacles on their chins and above their eyes. He had seen these people before in murals on Malachor. Were these Sith?

The thumping on the door stopped suddenly, and he was reminded that he was being chased by undead. How could he have forgotten? There was a small window and he looked out. They just shambled off into the fog as quickly as they came, seeming to give up on Ezra. He breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close. If he saw Kanan again, he was getting an earful. He needed to do something. To eat something. He was a stress eater. He reached into his knee compartment and pulled out a ration stick, sinking down to the ground and eating it slowly, trying to regain his breath and process what he had actually seen.

Those were dead people. He was certain. They all had the same face too. He was certain of that. Were those clones? They looked like storm troopers, but when he really sat and thought about it, it wasn’t right. The ones that had helmets didn’t have storm trooper helmets. They looked like a mix of modern storm trooper helmets and Mandalorian helmets. The armor was also modeled differently, though only slightly. Then it hit him. They looked like Rex, Wolfe, and Gregor had if they had been a little younger. Those were clones. Those were fucking clones, and they were wearing old Republic military armor. Why were they here, and why were they walking around?

He finished his ration stick then reached for another. He had to be careful about eating them all. He was a bottomless pit when he was stressed. Did someone live here? The chandelier was lit. That was unnerving. They had to have heard him. Would they come see him, sitting here, dirty and terrified and eating rations? It wouldn’t be the first time he had been discovered like that, and he was reminded of the rolling plains and mountains of Lothal. He missed it so much. Would he ever see it again? He waited for about five minutes, but no one came out. He stood and dusted himself off, and his stomach growled again. Was there food here? He decided to find out, going first down the hallway to the left. He didn’t find much. There was a room with some high quality medical equipment. It was modern too. Where had that come from? The other room looked like an old storage room. There were deteriorated and rusted boxes around the place, and there was an old blaster. He picked it up and tried to read the serial number, but it was too faded to read. It was also a really old blaster. He didn’t even recognize the design and only knew it was a blaster because of its general shape. He also doubted that with all the rust he could even pull the trigger, nor did he think it was a good idea. The thing was liable to explode if there was any juice in the energy pack.

He went back and went into the other hallway. Bingo. The first room was a kitchen. It looked pretty well stocked too. There was definitely someone that lived here. Did they know about the undead? His guess was that whoever lived here was eaten not too long ago. No harm in rooting around in the dead person’s kitchen right? It’d all rot otherwise. There were a lot of tubers and roots. That was probably all that really grew in the soil out here, except for the large amounts of rice, and a few bags of sugarcane. Those plants loved this kind of environment. He took a piece of the sugarcane, which had all been cut into bite sized pieces, and popped it into his mouth, chewing on it like a barn animal would on grass. It was sweet, and he loved it, but he needed to eat more than sugars if he was gonna face those creatures again. There was an icebox here too, and he opened it, rooting around. There was a lot of unknown meat in here, but it was raw. He was gonna have to cook it. Maybe after he finished exploring? There was a stove, pots, pans; it was an entirely functional kitchen.

“What are you doing in my house?” Purred a voice behind him. It was a voice he had heard before. He panicked and turned with a nervous smile. He knew there was a mug shot of him floating around with that exact look on his face. What he saw was not what he expected. What he expected was an older person, probably dirty and muddy, smelled bad, and dressed in rags.

What he saw was a glamorous woman probably between twenty and forty, very clean, not a spec of mud on her, dressed in a beautiful red gown, and she smelled delightful. He was immediately impressed. Her blonde hair was pulled up in the back, and she had black eyeshadow with wings. There was a beauty mark on her cheekbone, and she had alabaster skin. She could have been a pin-up.

“I uh… I didn’t know anyone was here?” He tried.

“Well, I’m here, and you’re in my kitchen. The house clearly isn’t deserted. The candles are lit.” She flowed down the steps into the kitchen and was within arm’s reach. She reached out a gloved hand and ran it across his chin. “You have a jawline for days.”

“Uh… Thanks? Do you know about the dead guys outside?”

“And you ask the dumbest questions. You poor thing, you’re so dirty. Are you hungry? I can run you a bath and cook you food if you’d like?”

What? What in the burning suns of Tatooine was this? Honestly a hot bath sounded amazing.

“Uhh… Ezra?” He said. He didn’t really know what to say.

“Ezra. That’s a nice name. I’m The Countess. Nice to meet you.”

He sniffed her experimentally. Not in a creepy way. He smelled her Force. It was the dead roses. He smelled the dead roses. He immediately went on high alert. That’s why he recognized the voice.

“I… I heard you! When I first got here!”

“So you did, young man. I didn’t think you could make it, but you found your way. Let me run you a bath. You’re tracking mud through the house. Follow me.” She said and floated out of the kitchen. He wondered if she was even walking. He followed her, almost entranced, and she went through a bedroom to a very large bathroom. It had a claw foot tub, a large mirror, and there were various other things in here. A counter with makeup spread on it, a rack with various pieces of jewelry, all of which looked very expensive to his criminal eye, and a walk-in closet. She got on her knees in front of the tub and turned it on, and he noted that she was wearing very fine red stilettos. Were those Louboutin? She then went into the closet and came out with a silver tray with soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion on it.

“I’ll let the bath run and go cook you some dinner. The towels are there. I’ll also find you some clothes. I’m sure my son has something that will fit you. You’re about the same size.”

“You… You’re son?”

She stood and smiled, running her hand across his jaw again. “Your stutter is cute. Get a bath. I’ll leave you clothes outside the door,” she said and floated out, closing the door gently behind her. This was weird. This was really weird. Who was she? Why did she speak to him? He debated jumping out the window, but when he glanced out, he saw some of the dead clones shambling around. That wasn’t an option. He’d play for now. A hot bath might be nice? He stripped out of his jumpsuit and noted the various bruises across his body, and a few cuts on his legs, thighs, and torso. He had been sprinting through wilderness, and he was pretty sure that some of these plants had thorns. He sank into the hot water, noting that the bathtub was big enough for him to fit into and for the water to cover him completely. He let the scalding water fill the tub and turned it off.  
Where was Kanan? That was the first thought in his head. What if he was hurt? No, He would have felt that. They had a bond that had grown pretty strong in The Force. He’d know, but he did half wonder what he was up to. Had he made it back to The Phantom and found it empty? Was he out looking for Ezra right now? That worried him. He had no doubt that Kanan could carve through the corpses outside, but he didn’t want to risk it. He reached for his wrist communicator over the edge of the tub and pressed the button.

“Kanan? Can you hear me?”

Nothing but static. That worried him. He tried to relax, slowly letting the water cover him, and he put his head in too. If she was gonna drown him, she probably would have tried already. It felt fantastic. There was nothing like a hot bath when morale was low. He used the soap and shampoo on the tray beside him, noting that they were decidedly masculine. Dark amber. It was a good smell. He applied liberally, getting the muck and the sweat off. It stung a little, getting into his cuts. When the sweat was wiped away, he realized that it wasn’t as humid and muggy in here. It was actually temperate, except for the rising body temperature that comes when you immerse yourself in scalding water. He then got out, finding the towels that she had told him about. They were from Krayt and Barrel. Damn, this lady lived large. Why did she live here? She looks like she belonged on the arm of a senator or high ranking Imperial. She belonged on a throne, really.

He cracked the door and sure enough, she had found some clothes for him. Rather, it was a robe. Not really clothing. He put it on, and found a pair of matching gloves, boots, and boot socks. He shrugged and put those on too, noting a disturbing lack of underwear. Should he go without? Did he have a choice? He decided that he didn’t, and walked back to the kitchen, were the countess was hard at work making… something? It smelled divine, whatever it was.

“See, don’t you feel better?” She asked, not even turning to him.

“I uh… I came here with someone,” he said.

“The Jedi? He’s fine. He can’t find this place. You could because you’re special. You’re not too light. If you’re too light, you don’t find anything but more trees and swamps.”  
“But what about the dead clones?”

“A security system and a project of my son’s. He has to practice his arts somewhere. My only rules were that they don’t come in the house. Dirty filthy creatures.”  
“Your son raised corpses from the dead?”

“You can’t really be as daft as you appear to be. There are a lot of things that one can do when the Force is used as an application. My daughter likes to devote her time to magicks, summoning fire and what not, but my son likes to create. They are like polar opposites. The destructive and the creative. I love them dearly.”

“But they aren’t here.”

She stopped for a moment. “No. No they aren’t. It is the desire of children to rebel against their parents, and these were no different. I let them go. They are off in the galaxy, learning what it’s like outside of home. I know that when they have had their fill, they will come home, sated. I was much like them once. Sit.” She gestured to a table, and Ezra sat. Before long, there was a plate in front of him. Grilled Krayt, mashed potatoes, and green beans. It looked delicious. She sat across from him with a smile.  
“I won’t make you stay, so don’t worry about that. Not all of us are monsters. But I did speak to you before, and I figure that it should be discussed. I offered you power and strength. The will to do the things that you desire, like liberate Lothal.”

“How did you know I’m from Lothal?” He asked, cutting into the steak.

“The Loth hawk on the back of your jumper.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that would do it.” He ate a piece of steak. It was delicious. “So, you’re offering me the Dark Side, I take it? I’ve heard this spiel before.”

“No. You haven’t. You’ve heard it from mad men who stop in the middle of the code. You can’t stop in the middle. All men typically stop in the middle.”

“Code?”

“Peace is a lie. There is passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, power. Through power, victory. Through victory, I break my chains, and with my free hands, I break the chains of others.”

“That doesn’t sound like any Dark Sider I know.”

“No, because as I said, they stop in the middle. They stop at power. It’s easy to do. Power is liberating and freeing. You have to carry it all the way through, and the last part, which is the most important. With your free hands, you break the chains of others. If you don’t, then you’re just selfish. The Sith were not selfish people, and Bane corrupted their image.”

“Who is Bane?”

“Not a man I speak of fondly and we will leave it at that. I don’t have to give you anything. You don’t have to sign some kind of pact or contract. This isn’t chosen one skullduggery. You simply follow that code. If you do that, you can repay me for the meal and the clothes.”

Ezra thought about it and it made sense. He also finished the plate, even eating the vegetables.

“I appreciate all this, but I need to find my master.”

Her face fell for a moment, but only a moment. “Of course you do, Ezra. When you leave here, just walk in a straight line and you’ll make it back to your ship.”

“What about the corpses?”

“As I said, they’re a security system. I wasn’t expecting guests. I can assure you that they won’t harm you. Think of it like disarming the alarm.”

He stood, and she showed him out, opening the door.

“I’ll be watching you, Ezra. Follow the code, and all will be well, and you will achieve victory and break your chains.”

He left, taking an experimental step outside. One of the corpses looked at him, then shambled past him. When he turned back, the temple was gone. Her, the temple, all of it. All that was there was a bag with his clothes poking out of them. He shrugged and grabbed it, then walked in a straight line, just like she had said. It only took him thirty minutes to get back to the Phantom, and he didn’t have to walk through a single swamp. Kanan was sitting on the ramp, swearing at his communicator.

“Kanan?” He said, and Kanan about jumped out of his skin. He definitely jumped backwards, reaching for his saber as he did, then calmed.

“Ezra? Where have you been?”

“I’m fine, and I learned what I needed to. Are we ready to go?”

Kanan smiled. “Sure. What did you learn from this journey?” He asked, going on board and starting up the Phantom.

“To break my chains, and with my free hands, I should break the chains of others.”


End file.
